Category Archives: Solar

With the panels finally on site, it was time to get down to their actual installation. First, I needed to mock up the inverter/panel position to derive a measurement template. As it turned out, the inverters could be mounted directly below … Continue reading →

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My contractor has finished the array connections and a nicely done piece of work it is too! Here’s a few shots of the roof mounted junction box: The box itself contains a DIN rail that can be used for surge … Continue reading →

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The inspector and my contractor showed up yesterday and the setup breezed through inspection. Having a parallel PV installation was key here since it split out the existing residential/expense side of my electrical installation from the new commercial/revenue side. As … Continue reading →

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The array was commissioned without a hitch last Friday. It was a fairly simple process too. Essentially, the WE Energies engineer had me switch on the disconnect then he waited for the meter to register energy production. After five minutes, … Continue reading →

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I ran across this one while randomly surfing yesterday and I must say that its content couldn’t be more timely. Distributed Solar installations such as the one I’m building have the potential to change the very nature of energy distribution … Continue reading →

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Monitoring array output is pretty simple with my TED5000. Once I extended the computer room circuit up to the attic, I installed a new MTU, clamped the circuit taps around the array hot wires and registered everything using the web interface. … Continue reading →

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It’s started! I got an estimate for $8,850 yesterday and am meeting with our contractor on the 25th to submit my down payment/go over logistics. We will be using the same panels/inverters/mounting system and once again, I’ll be doing the … Continue reading →

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The 3 KW expansion required the addition of 6 more Renusol racks. Each pair secured four 265W Suniva panels. The rails themselves were fastened to the roof using EcoFasten GF flashing at 4 points. Every other rail landed on an … Continue reading →

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Here’s the final breakdown for our Solar project (minus the required occasional trips to Home Depot…). The bottom line is really quite good if you ask me! Do your own research on this then consider DIY Solar. Its time! Click … Continue reading →

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My original design called for surge protection and I was getting sick and tired of powering down the array every time the weather looked threatening. So I decided to remedy the situation before leaving on a two week vacation. SPDs … Continue reading →